Voices in the Dark by Fleur McDonald

Author:Fleur McDonald [Fleur McDonald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2023-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

It seemed an age before she heard footsteps on the verandah, and the front door opening and shutting loudly.

By then, Sassi had a pillow under Pa’s head, a blanket tucked in around his frail body, and a hot water bottle underneath.

‘We’re in the lounge,’ she called.

Abe’s flustered face appeared and, two steps later, he was next to his dad, reaching down to grasp his hand. ‘Dad.’

‘Ah,’ Pa said.

‘I can’t get him up,’ Sassi told Abe.

‘Do you think anything is broken?’

‘No, I think he’s just had a hell of a fright.’

‘Be—’ the old man’s voice quavered. ‘Berum.’

‘Bedroom? We’ll get you there.’

‘Nah hom.’

Sassi looked at Abe, despair flooding her stomach.

‘You’re not going into a home, Dad,’ Abe said. ‘Let’s not worry about that now. Let’s try to get you up.’ Hooking his hands underneath his father’s armpits, Abe gently pulled upwards. ‘Tell me if anything hurts.’

A bit more puffing and moaning and Pa was back in his chair.

‘Do you want a cup of tea?’ Sassi asked, desperate to do something useful.

Pa shook his head. His chest heaved with exertion, and he closed his eyes.

Sassi flitted from one side of the chair to the other, while Abe kept his fingers on Pa’s wrist and an eye on his watch.

After a few minutes, Pa opened his eyes and stared at them.

Sassi was relieved to see his eyes were clear and free of pain.

‘Be,’ he told them. Bed.

‘Are you sure you don’t need to sit there a bit longer?’ Abe asked.

The old man shook his head, so with Sassi on one side and Abe on the other, they slowly walked him to the bedroom and settled him on the edge of the bed.

Sassi slipped out while Abe undressed him. A few minutes later she went in with Panadol and a glass of water, as well as another hot water bottle. ‘Here, take these.’ She held out the tablets.

Pa reared back against the pillows, shaking his head violently and pushing her hands away. ‘Na.’

Both Abe and Sassi stared at him. ‘Pa, they’re just normal Panadol tablets. They’ll help with any pain you start to feel.’

Pa looked uncertain, as if he wanted to believe her but was not sure he should.

‘Pa, you know it’s me, Sassi, don’t you?’

‘Ass,’ he said and blinked a couple of times.

‘It’s me.’ She met Abe’s eyes with a worried look.

Then Pa held out his hand for the tablets. ‘’Anks.’

Breathing a sigh of relief, she handed them over and helped him drink from the glass, before tucking the blanket in around him.

‘We should get the doctor,’ Abe said.

The room smelt like the lavender hand lotion that Granny used, but over the top of that was a musky unwashed, old man odour. There was a pile of clothes on the floor and Sassi recognised them as the ones Pa had been wearing over the last week. Why hadn’t her mother washed them? She gathered them up and started to leave the room for the laundry.

Pa’s hand shot out to Abe’s arm. ‘Okay,’ he said again touching his chest.

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